Events in Derik, Qamishlo call for constitutional recognition of Kurdish language

The Union of Intellectuals and the Mesopotamia Movement for Democratic Culture and Art organized a cultural and artistic event on the occasion of Kurdish Language Day, which falls on May 15 each year, at the Dijla Center for Culture and Arts in the city of Derik, with wide participation from intellectuals, poets, writers, and members of cultural and artistic institutions.

The event began with a minute of silence in honor of the souls of the martyrs, followed by cultural and artistic performances that focused on the Kurdish language and its place in the consciousness of the Kurdish people, as well as its role in preserving identity and cultural heritage.

Several participating poets presented poems addressing the meaning of belonging to the mother tongue, stressing that the Kurdish language is not merely a means of communication, but represents the history of the Kurdish people, their collective memory, and their culture that has been passed down through generations despite years of marginalization and attempts at erasure.

The event also included a theatrical performance by members of the Dijla Center for Culture and Arts, highlighting the deep relationship between the Kurdish people and their mother tongue, and emphasizing the importance of preserving and teaching the Kurdish language to future generations as an essential part of national and cultural identity.

The event concluded with musical and artistic performances by the Jodi band, which performed a selection of traditional and patriotic songs centered on the Kurdish language and its importance, amid strong audience interaction, with attendees chanting songs and slogans praising the Kurdish language.

In the same context, the Democratic Islam Congress in North and East Syria issued a statement in the city of Qamishlo calling for the inclusion of the Kurdish language in the Syrian constitution as an official language, and for its recognition as a language of education alongside guaranteeing the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurdish people.

The statement was read in front of Zain Al-Abidin Mosque in Qamishlo by Sheikh Mullah Mohammed Al-Gharzani, a member of the Democratic Islam Congress, in the presence of several members of the congress and social and religious figures.

The statement affirmed that linguistic and cultural diversity in Syria is a “divine sign” that must be preserved and respected, citing the Quranic verse: “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and colors,” noting that linguistic and cultural differences among peoples are part of the natural order of human societies and not something that can be eliminated or denied.

It added that the Kurdish people have suffered for decades from policies of denial, marginalization, and attempts at cultural genocide, despite their historical contribution to defending values of coexistence and fraternity among peoples, stressing that adherence to the Kurdish language is a legitimate and natural right that cannot be relinquished.

The statement also expressed rejection of practices of “cultural assimilation” and attempts to eliminate national languages from official institutions, noting that such policies contradict the principles of pluralism and coexistence and are incompatible with any project of building a democratic state that recognizes all its components.

It called for the inclusion of the Kurdish language in any future Syrian constitution as an official language and for guaranteeing the right of Kurdish people to receive education in their mother tongue at all educational levels, as a national and constitutional entitlement that strengthens partnership among the country’s components.

The congress concluded its statement by raising slogans emphasizing the importance and status of the Kurdish language, most notably: “No life without language,” in a message stressing that preserving the Kurdish language means preserving identity, culture, and history.

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ANHA